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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
11:1-12:19 The Final Passover: The Ultimate Sign and the Aftermath. The raising of Lazarus constitutes the final and ultimate messianic "sign" of Jesus in this Gospel (see note on 2:11). This spectacular miracle (recorded only by John) anticipates Jesus' own resurrection and reveals Jesus as "the resurrection and the life" (11:25). The raising of Lazarus also serves as a final event triggering the Jewish leaders' resolve to have Jesus arrested and tried for blasphemy (11:45-57).
11:1 Bethany. Identified in v. 18 as being
11:4 Jesus could say that Lazarus's illness does not lead to death in the sense that it did not lead ultimately to death, but it did lead through death to being raised from the dead a few days later. Jesus makes a similar statement in Mark 5:39. Jesus knew what was going to happen, and in John 11:11-14 he tells his disciples clearly that Lazarus has already died.
11:5-6 So (Gk. oun, "so, therefore") shows the reason why Jesus stayed two days longer: he allowed his friends to go through the sorrow and hardship of the death and mourning of Lazarus because he loved them and wanted them to witness an amazing demonstration of Jesus' power over death, thus seeing "his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father" (1:14). The Lord does not always answer prayers as expected.
11:9-10 If Jesus is the "light of the world" (8:12), then to walk in the day means to walk in the light that Jesus gives; that is, to walk in fellowship with him, believing and obeying his words. In contrast, walks in the night means to walk apart from Jesus, not believing him and not obeying him. This is an indication that the person has no spiritual life, for the light is not in him. Most people at this time worked as long as there was daylight; once it was dark, it was time to stop working. Jesus is divinely called to go to Judea; it is part of what constituted walking "in the day" for him, even though he is heading toward the cross (11:7-8).
11:11 Fallen asleep means "died," as the following conversation (vv. 12-14) makes clear. The OT equivalent is "slept with his fathers" (see, e.g., 1 Kings 2:10 and throughout 1-2 Kings and 1-2 Chronicles). Occasionally, death is compared to a deep sleep from which people will one day be awakened (e.g., Dan. 12:2).
11:15 So that you may believe indicates that Jesus knows raising Lazarus from the dead will lead to deeper faith on the part of the disciples who witness this miracle.
11:17 four days. Though burial usually followed soon after death (see Acts 5:6, 10), some later Jewish sources indicate a belief that the soul hovered over the body for , hoping to reenter it, but then gave up and departed.
11:24 Martha's affirmation of end-time resurrection was in keeping with the beliefs of the Pharisees (Acts 23:8) and the majority of Jews, as well as the teaching of Jesus (John 5:21, 25-29; 6:39-44, 54). Martha misunderstood the full import of Jesus' promise (11:23), thinking he was merely speaking of the final resurrection, while Jesus meant much more.
11:25 Jesus does not merely say that he will bring about the resurrection or that he will be the cause of the resurrection (both of which are true), but something much stronger: I am the resurrection and the life. Resurrection from the dead and genuine eternal life in fellowship with God are so closely tied to Jesus that they are embodied in him and can be found only in relationship to him. Therefore believes in me implies personal trust in Christ. The preposition translated "in" (Gk. eis) is striking, for eis ordinarily means "into," giving the sense that genuine faith in Christ in a sense brings people "into" Christ, so that they rest in and become united with Christ. (This same expression is found in 3:16, 18, 36; 6:35; 7:38; 12:44, 46; 14:12; 1 John 5:10.) The "I am" statement here represents a claim to deity.
11:26 Lives refers to those who have spiritual life now (see note on 3:36). Those who believe shall never die, in that they will ultimately triumph over death.
11:27 Martha's reference to the one who is coming into the world takes up the messianic expression derived from Ps. 118:26 (cf. John 12:13 par.).
11:28 The Teacher was a natural way of referring to Jesus for any disciple prior to his resurrection (1:38, 49; 3:2; 4:31; 6:25; 9:2; 11:8; cf. 20:16).
11:33 The Greek word underlying deeply moved, embrimaomai (elsewhere in the NT only in v. 38; Matt. 9:30 ["sternly warned"]; Mark 1:43 ["sternly charged"]; and Mark 14:5 ["scolded"]), means to feel something deeply and strongly. Jesus was moved with profound sorrow at the death of his friend and at the grief that his other friends had suffered. In addition, this sorrow was intermixed with anger at the evil of death (the final enemy; see 1 Cor. 15:26; Rev. 21:4), and also with a deep sense of awe at the power of God that was about to flow through him to triumph over death (in anticipation of his voice summoning the whole world to the resurrection on the last day). In his spirit does not refer to the Holy Spirit but to Jesus' own human spirit.
11:35 Jesus wept. Jesus joins his friends' sadness with heartfelt sorrow, yet underlying it is the knowledge that resurrection and joy will soon follow (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13). Jesus' example shows that heartfelt mourning in the face of death does not indicate lack of faith but honest sorrow at the reality of suffering and death.
11:43 come out. The voice of the omnipotent Creator (1:3, 10) speaks, and even Lazarus's dead body obeys (cf. 4:50; 5:8).
11:44 Remarkably, John does not record Lazarus's reaction or any of the aftermath of his raising (cf. Luke 8:55-56), except for the fact that "many of the Jews . . . believed in him" (i.e., Jesus) as a result of seeing this miracle (John 11:45; see also 12:9-11). The focus is on Jesus, not Lazarus.
11:45 Here John uses the phrase the Jews in a positive way, to refer to those Jews who believed in him (cf. note on 1:19).
11:48 Our place almost certainly refers to the temple (cf. Acts 6:13-14; 21:28). Take away . . . our nation may refer to the feared removal of the Jews' semiautonomous status by the Romans (cf. 1 Macc. 5:19). Ironically, what the Sanhedrin sought to prevent by killing Jesus still came to pass when the Romans razed the temple and captured Jerusalem in (see note on John 2:13-22).
11:49 that year. In fact, Caiaphas (see note on 18:24) was high priest for (), longer than any other high priest in the . You know nothing at all displays the rudeness allegedly characteristic of many Sadducees (as confirmed by Josephus).
11:50-51 Die for the people invokes the memory of the Maccabean martyrs (2 Macc. 7:37-38). With a typical Johannine double meaning (see notes on John 3:14; 4:10; 8:24; 19:19; cf. also 3:7-8), Caiaphas's pronouncement anticipates Jesus' substitutionary atonement.
11:52 The children of God . . . scattered, as referred to here, are the Gentiles (cf. 10:16; see also note on 3:3-6). John is not suggesting that they are already God's children but anticipates their future inclusion into God's people.
11:55 This is the third and final Passover mentioned by John; see note on 2:13. People went up early to purify themselves from any ceremonial uncleanness that would have prevented them from celebrating the Passover (e.g., Num. 9:4-14; 19:11-12).
12:1-11 The anointing of Jesus by Mary of Bethany (also recorded in Matt. 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9) casts a long shadow forward over Jesus' imminent arrest, trial, condemnation, crucifixion, and burial (John 12:7-8). The story in Luke 7:36-50 involves a different woman, a different place, a different reaction from Jesus, and a different time in Jesus' ministry.
12:1 Therefore (Gk. oun) ties this verse to the previous one and is a reminder that John is constantly aware of God's providential ordering of all these events and of Jesus' obedience in following the path that he knew would lead to the cross. Regarding the Passover, cf. 11:55 and note on 2:13. Six days before the Passover most likely refers to Saturday, since the Passover began Friday evening at sundown. Bethany. See note on 11:1.
12:2 Dinner (Gk. deipnon) refers to the main meal of the day, which was usually held toward evening (cf. Luke 14:12). Reclining . . . at table may imply a banquet rather than a regular meal (cf. John 13:2-5, 23). People at special feasts would lie with their heads near a low table and their feet pointing out away from it, resting on one elbow and eating with the other hand.
12:3 Cf. 11:2. A pound (or half a liter) is a very large amount of fragrant oil or perfume. Pure and expensive nard was imported from northern India and used by the Romans for anointing the head. The Synoptics indicate that the perfume was kept in an alabaster jar (Matt. 26:7; Mark 14:3). It is recorded here that Mary anointed the feet of Jesus, while Matt. 26:7 and Mark 14:3 mention that she anointed Jesus' "head." Considering the large quantity of ointment, Mary apparently anointed both Jesus' head and his feet. Attending to the feet was the work of servants (cf. John 1:27; 13:5), so Mary's actions show humility and devotion. Her wiping of Jesus' feet with her hair is also remarkable, since Jewish women rarely unbound their hair in public. Mary's action indicates an expression of intense personal devotion to Christ, but no hint of immoral thoughts or conduct should be read into her actions.
12:6 Judas's motivation was anything but pure. Before he betrayed Jesus, he had already been a thief.
12:7 So that she may keep it may mean "keep the rest of the perfume," but Mark 14:3 says the flask was broken, and Judas complains that it was already wasted. Other interpretations are "so that she may keep (the memory of this)" or "Leave her alone, (for she has saved the perfume) so that she could keep it for the day of my burial."
12:8 the poor. Jesus' response alludes to Deut. 15:11, and therefore he is not discouraging helping the poor. You do not always have me foreshadows Jesus' impending death on the cross and subsequent resurrection and ascension, as well as the shortness of time remaining for the disciples to have a part in his earthly ministry.
12:10 When the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death, it betrayed an astounding refusal to allow their beliefs to be changed by undeniable facts. They would rather destroy the evidence than change their minds. This is not rational behavior, but sin produces irrational action.
12:11 the Jews. John uses this expression in a positive way to speak of those who are coming to faith in Christ (cf. 11:45), indicating a hope that many of his Jewish readers will do the same.
12:12-19 Jesus' triumphal entry, with people waving palm branches to greet him, is celebrated in Christian tradition as "Palm Sunday." His riding into Jerusalem mounted on a donkey fulfills OT Scripture (Zech. 9:9; see also Ps. 118:25-26). The waving of palm branches, which symbolically conveyed the notion of victory over one's enemy, probably indicates that the people (mistakenly) thought that Jesus would then and there bring national deliverance from Israel's political enemies, the Romans. Yet Jesus' popular acclaim would not last; the same people who hailed him here as the victor would call for his crucifixion just a few days later.
12:12 The next day is probably Sunday of Passion Week, called "Palm Sunday" in Christian tradition. See note on v. 1. The feast is Passover.
12:13 By waving palm branches (a Jewish national symbol) the people hail Jesus as the Davidic king and echo the language of Ps. 118:25-26, hoping that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Most of the crowd probably understood the title King of Israel in a political and military sense, still hoping that Jesus would use his amazing powers to resist Roman rule and lead the nation to independence. Like Caiaphas (John 11:49-52), however, they spoke better than they knew, as his disciples later understood (12:16).
12:15 Jesus is depicted as the humble shepherd-king of Zech. 9:9, who comes to the Holy City to take his rightful place. An early messianic prophecy speaks of a ruler from Judah who, riding on a donkey, will command the obedience of nations (Gen. 49:10-11). Fear not may be taken from Isa. 40:9, where the reference is to the one who brings good tidings to Zion (cf. Isa. 44:2).
12:16 An important verse on the misunderstanding motif in John, indicating that many of the things Jesus said and did were understood only after the cross and resurrection.
